Questions and Anwers, Truth and Lies
by Trixfan
Summary: Set post Scully's remission.  Mulder and Scully have a discussion about the truth and how its affected them and their plans for the future.  Soon to be incorperated into Catalyst.  Please read and reveiw.


OK, this is my offering. It's set sometime in season five, after Scully is in remission from her cancer. CC, 1013 and Fox own the characters, but the ideas are all mine.

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><p>'They've lied to us about everything,' a look of incredulity crossed Mulder's face. The intensity of his stare almost enough to frighten Scully with his words. 'What makes you think they'd tell the truth about this?'<p>

'Why,' she asked, somewhat confused by the level of his fanaticism. Rationalising, Scully attempted to keep him intellectually honest. 'Mulder, to what end. It doesn't make any sense.'

'You and I both know, tests, examinations, they can doctor those. They can change the results, giving us the answers they want us to believe,' taking her shoulders in his strong hands, Mulder's face became pleading, begging he to come on this journey with him. 'This way it'd be just you and me. They wouldn't need to know. If it doesn't happen, we've lost nothing.'

'What about the X-files?' Scully had to ask, knowing how important they had become to both Mulder and herself.

'They mean nothing to me without you, Scully.' Once again that intensity, the level of passion in his expression made her want believe. 'You're my touchstone. You keep me honest, grounded. You make me a whole person. I owe you everything. I can live without the X-files but I can not live without you.'

'Mulder,' his name came out as a plea. She wanted this, wanted it more than she could ever express. _Here he is, offering me exactly what I want, why can't I just say to hell with it, yes please. Because Dana Scully you still have doubts about his sincerity and the truth of what he's telling you._

'Scully, they're been tying to close the X-files down for years,' that pleading tone once again colouring the timber of Mulder's voice. 'I can't go back to rooky duty. I can't go back to sitting and listening to hour upon hour of gibberish only to transcribe it for no apparent reason.'

'We still have the X-files,' Scully protested.

'For how long,' he retuned just as quickly. 'They found a way to close us down once. Don't think for a single minute they couldn't do the same again, at any given moment if it suits their purpose.'

'Mulder,' she wanted to believe, to trust his words, but something held her back. Mulder obviously believed, but Scully couldn't place as much trust in the idea, not yet. Not until she cleared up a few remaining insecurities currently running rampant in he mind. 'You've never put anything above the X-files, above your resolve to find the truth and expose it.'

'Yes,' Mulder stated with more determination than Scully had ever seen. His hazel eye's jumped from his face, willing her to see, to believe the simple truth in his statement. 'Yes, I have.'

'When,' Scully challenged, matching him glare for glare, 'when has something been more important to you than the X-files?'

'You really want to know?' Mulder retuned, knowing Scully would be as embarrassed by the answer as he felt.

'Yes,' she demanded, 'more than that, I need to know, Mulder. I need to know you'll put me above the work if we do this.'

'When you were taken, Scully, X came to me. He arranged for the men who took you to trash my apartment at exactly 8.17 on the night I thought you'd lose you battle to live.' Moving his hands to cup her face, he continued, 'I went to you're bedside instead, Scully, and begged you to stay, not to give up, not to leave me.'

'I know,' Scully suddenly remembered someone pulling her back from the brink, and Mulder had been that someone. This knowledge became enough for Scully to realise she could do this. She wanted to do this more than anything she'd ever considered.

'They've lied to us about everything else, Scully,' he continued his assault on he rapidly diminishing resolve. 'Your abduction, your cancer, maybe they've lied about this as well. Even if they haven't, we still have you ova. There might be other ways to achieve our goal if this fails.'

'You're sure about this, Mulder,' the seriousness of Scully's voice telling him she'd made her decision. _Once again, I'll follow him, no matter what the cost to either of us. Only this time I want this too._

'It's all I've thought about for months. Probably since the night you were taken, if I'm truthful,' he conceded, both relieved and frightened by the decision they'd just taken. The implications for their combined future if this came to fruition astounded Mulder. While it would give them both what they so desperately wanted, success would give their enemies leverage. More leverage than they'd ever had in the past.

'I need to work, Mulder. While we do this,' hesitating, Scully thought about the consequences in the future if their plans culminated in a new life. 'I need to feel that I have options, that if this fails I can continue to be a productive member of society.'

'Then work as a doctor,' he suggested, 'retrain in what ever field you feel will complete you as a professional and an individual. Scully, I don't want you in the field if they've lied to us, if there's even the slightest chance that our assumptions are correct. I can't take the chance, I don't want too.'

'What if it's not enough,' Scully whispered, wondering just what she'd be forced to give up for the possibility of her dreams coming true.

'What if it is?' Mulder retuned. 'What if you get your miracle?'

'Me,' Scully shuddered at the thought of going alone on this. Looking into his eyes, her tone tuning serious, she said, 'Mulder I won't do this alone. I won't even contemplate this without you beside me all the way.'

'Then what if we get our miracle,' he smiled down at her. Finally feeling the need to take her lips lightly, Mulder kissed Scully.

'You really want to do this,' the incredulity shone in he cerulean eyes. Sometimes this man did the most extortionary things, still amazing her. 'You really want to try not only a relationship but attempt to create a new life between us.'

'Yes,' the simple word said so much, almost as much as the searing kisses that followed.

'And if you're right,' Scully had to ask when he finally let her come up for air, 'if we get our miracle.'

'We'll reassess the situation then, Scully,' Mulder couldn't keep the smile from his covering his lips and reaching all the way to his eyes.

They got their miracle, naturally, two years later.

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><p>Post note, season eight and nine don't exist in this time line, so Mulder sticks around after William conceived and then born, but that's another tail I might write one day.<p> 


End file.
